


Magic in Vaska

by OuiOuiBaguette



Category: Hamilton - Miranda
Genre: AGAIN THIS WILL NOT BE HAPPY IM WARNING YOU NOW, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, And violence, Hamburr, Im trying to write 30 000 words in december rip me, Kingbury, Lams - Freeform, Multi, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Swearing, There will be death, alexander is a seer, and i know i should be working on my other unfinished fanfic but like whatever itll be fine, and other cool things, jeffmads - Freeform, so im warning you now, some slight homophobia later, sorta - Freeform, there are dragons, this is a fantasy au thing so yay, thomas is in denial, updates will probably be random sorry
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-12-03
Updated: 2016-12-08
Packaged: 2018-09-06 04:18:09
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,251
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8734597
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OuiOuiBaguette/pseuds/OuiOuiBaguette
Summary: The planet was new, barely even started. And yet, life populated this beautiful landscape. A large stone building sat on a tree lined hill, overlooking the valley below. The building resembles what we would call a castle, housing a similar monarchy inside. This is a place lost to history, all traces of it’s existence wiped from the memory of our planet. Here, a small kingdom resides, with many creatures that we have never dreamed of. What some would call “humans” abide here, living peacefully, hidden amid the towering trees. Many speculate that this valley has simply ceased to exist, lost to another plane of existence, while some say it never existed at all. But, how can we know what’s right or wrong? A place shrouded in magic and mystery, which will never be seen again. How sad that this place went down the way it did. Now, enough about the future, let’s talk about the present in this valley._______________________________________Woo! More fanfiction! This is probably going to be a mess and idk if i'll even finish it but... enjoy!





	1. Mistake

**Author's Note:**

> I really should be working on my Jeffmads fanfic but like... eh. Anyways a lot happens in this chapter wow! This fic will be very emotional and very fast paced, so be ready. 
> 
> Enjoy!

The planet was new, barely even started. And yet, life populated this beautiful landscape. A large stone building sat on a tree lined hill, overlooking the valley below. The building resembles what we would call a castle, housing a similar monarchy inside. This is a place lost to history, all traces of it’s existence wiped from the memory of our planet. Here, a small kingdom resides, with many creatures that we have never dreamed of. What some would call “humans” abide here, living peacefully, hidden amid the towering trees. Many speculate that this valley has simply ceased to exist, lost to another plane of existence, while some say it never existed at all. But, how can we know what’s right or wrong? A place shrouded in magic and mystery, which will never be seen again. How sad that this place went down the way it did. Now, enough about the future, let’s talk about the present in this valley.

There was a great turbulence in the valley that evening, as one of greatest and most well known seer’s had told the world of his affair. Alexander Hamilton, the seer in question, had seemingly been married to his wife, Eliza Hamilton, for many years. They had several children, the oldest of which was their son Philip, who seemed the most upset by the news. People were gathering outside Alexander's house, demanding answers and questioning the truth of the announcement. Many would have thought that it was a fake, but Alexander had published it himself, in his own name. Nobody wanted to believe it, especially not Hamilton’s family, but it was difficult to deny.

“What the fuck is wrong with you?!” Philip demanded, slamming the door shut to block out the people crowding outside. There were tears streaming down the boys freckled face, and Alexander winced at the pain in his voice.

“How could you do that to Mom?! WHAT THE FUCK?!” Philips angry voice rose until he was practically shouting, and Alexander knew he was still trying to hold back. “Mom LOVED YOU! AND YOU DO _THAT?!_ ” Philip was almost the same height as Alexander, and Alex didn’t think he had ever been this scared of his own son. Backing into the wall, Alexander tried to stutter out apologies, but Philip cut him off, grabbing the collar of his shirt and pulling him down.

Alex was afraid Philip was going to hit him, and prepared to defend himself, when a quiet voice whispered from across the room, “Philip sweety, leave your father alone…” The voice sounded so pathetic and sad, and regret immediately filled Alexander. Releasing him, Philip whipped around to face the newcomer.

“He’s not my father anymore,” Philip spat, but most of the fire had left his voice at the sight of his mother. Eliza was standing at the other side of the small room, trying her best to remain composed and failing miserably. She wasn’t crying, but Alexander could see the pain on her face, and his heart twisted. He’d never meant for any of this to happen, he’d only went to Maria because he was desperate. Eliza had gone with the children to visit her father farther up the valley, and Alex had been in one of the worst states of his life. Visions had become an almost constant, and added to the constant fight against Jefferson and Madison, Alex had been weak and alone. Maria had come to him, frantic. Her husband had left her with nothing, and she wasn’t sure she could go on. It wasn’t like him to turn away someone so downcast, so Alexander offered her some money and a walk home. They hit off well, Maria was pretty and fun to talk to, so no one could blame Alex for kissing her back. The two met again and again, more times than Alexander had ever anticipated, and eventually things got a lot more complicated.

“Eliza… I’m sorry,” Alexander muttered, casting his gaze to the ground, “I had no choice.” It was slightly true, in Alexander’s opinion, he had been forced to tell the world of his affair. He had never wanted his family to find out this way. Maria’s husband had found out about the affair, and blackmailed Alexander for his silence. The visits then continued even after Eliza returned, and Alexander was beginning to worry about how long he could keep it a secret. Sure enough, the ever annoying Thomas Jefferson found information regarding Alexander’s payments to Maria’s husband, and threatened to tell the valley he had committed treason.

“No choice?!” Philip shouted, but Eliza quieted him by placing a hand on his shoulder. Alexander looked up, and was met with Eliza’s dark gaze, brimmed with sadness. She was wearing a nice simple blue dress that poofed out at her hips, and her long straight hair was braided back on one side. She looked beautiful, and Alex felt his heart break. He might never see her again.

“Leave Alexander,” was all she said, with a coldness in her voice Alexander had never heard before. Alexander opened his mouth to argue, retaliate, convince her it was all a mistake, but he quickly shut it again.

“I won’t force you to leave the valley, I would never do that to you, but you can’t stay here any longer,” Eliza continued, and Philip was gaping at her in shock.

“That’s it?! You’re not even going to punish him for what he did to you?! He broke your heart!” Philip was trying so hard not to shout, his mother didn’t need him yelling at her as well, “You’re just letting him leave?!”

Eliza sighed, sitting down on one of the stairs. Her momentary strength seemed to fade instantly, and Alex had to resist the urge to comfort her. “Just get him out…” Eliza muttered, standing and walking up the stairs. Philip turned to Alexander, anger flaring in his eyes.

“Get. The. Fuck. Out,” he snarled, and Alexander didn’t bother arguing. He didn’t grab any of his things, he didn’t have much anyway. As he opened the door, he couldn’t help but glance a mournful glance at his son, who returned it with an angry glare. Alex winced internally, closing the door behind him.

_--_--_--_--_--_--_--_--_--_--_

“Have you heard about Hamilton?” Thomas asked, not even bothering to look up from his work. He knew who it was as soon as they entered the room.   
“Ah yes. The so called Reynolds Pamphlet. I am aware,” James answered, walking up behind Thomas. Thomas smiled slightly, turning in his chair to greet his friend.

“Looks like Hamilton finally got what he deserved,” Thomas chuckled, reading over the pamphlet once again. So, Hamilton would rather tell the world of his on going affair then be accused of treason. Thomas wasn’t all that surprised really, Hamilton had always cared about his image. Thomas did as well of course, but Thomas would also never imagine having an affair of any sort. He loved his wife Martha dearly, and would never dream of breaking her heart like that.

“Well, good to know your moral standing is much higher than Hamilton’s,” James suddenly said, reading over the papers scattered on Thomas’ desk. It was then Thomas realized he’d said all this aloud, and he felt a slight blush rising up his face. James smiled down at him, something that didn’t happen often, and Thomas self-consciously adjusted his bowtie. Sitting up straighter in his seat, Thomas coughed awkwardly, breaking the short silence that had stretched in between them.

“So, what brings you to my office?” Thomas asked, attempting to change the subject. James raised an eyebrow at him, and Thomas fidgeted slightly under his gaze. Seriously, why was he so nervous around James all of a sudden? The two had known each other since they were children, and Thomas had never felt this uncomfortable being in a room with him. He didn’t understand what was happening to him.

“What, am I not allowed to see come visit my closest friend?” James asked, and there was a brief flash of something in his eyes that Thomas didn’t recognize. Thomas quickly dismissed it, instead shrugging.

“Am I not allowed to ask?” he retorted, turning back to his work, “Anyway, I’m very busy today, the King has been demanding my audience randomly all day.”

James cocked his head to the side, puzzled. “If I may ask, why does the King wish to see you so much, I thought he hated you.”

“So did I!” Thomas exclaimed, raising his arms, “but apparently he’s having some more… personal issues, and he thinks I can be of help.”

This only deepened the puzzled expression on James’ face, and he asked, “But I thought Seabury was his usual adviser, why isn’t the King going to him?”

Thomas shrugged again, leaning back in his chair, “I asked him that as well. Apparently this is something he doesn’t feel comfortable telling Samuel.”

James crossed his arms, furrowing his brow in concentration. Suddenly, a part of Thomas’ brain whispered how cute James looked when he concentrated, and Thomas quickly pushed it away, surprised. That was new. Although, it wasn’t that uncommon to occasionally find your best friend attractive, was it?

“Is that all he told you?” James’ voice cut into Thomas’ thoughts, and he nodded in response.

“Well, he also kept mentioning you, but that seemed irrelevant. He appeared very afraid and unsure of himself though, something I’m not used to seeing from him.” James continued to stare intently at the ground, seemingly lost in thought. Thomas quickly took the opportunity to turn back to his work, trying to distract himself from any further thoughts on James’ appearance. But James seemed determined to stay for a little while longer, so Thomas invited him to pull up a chair.

“We haven’t talked in awhile,” James commented, and Thomas winced internally, “What are you working on?”

“Oh, just this and that. Tax reports, wildlife management, the usual,” Thomas grabbed a couple papers in his hand, flailing them in the air for emphasis.

James hummed, resting his elbows on the desk. This took up quite a bit of room, and Thomas pushed back his agitation as he slid papers out of James’ way. “So, you don’t have a good reason for coming to visit me?” Thomas swallowed nervously. James lived deep in the valley, but getting there wasn’t impossible. Especially for someone as financially gifted as Thomas. He really didn’t have a good excuse, and although James’ tone hadn’t suggested any agitation or hurt, Thomas still felt bad.

Seeing Thomas’ dilemma, James decided to speak once more, “It’s fine Thomas. I know you’re busy,” he muttered, resting a hand on Thomas’ shoulder. Thomas sighed, relief flooding through him, and when James smiled again, Thomas couldn’t help but return it.

The pair sat together for hours, only speaking occasionally. For the most part, they just enjoyed each other's company, something they hadn’t done for as long as either of them could remember. They were barely touching, Thomas knew James didn’t always appreciate physical contact, but Thomas could still feel just how _close_ James was. A sudden urge to wrap his arms around James and never let go rose up in his chest, and Thomas had to fight back the surprise that appeared. He had never wanted to violate James’ wishes like that, and Thomas knew it wouldn’t be welcome. James was a distant person, not necessarily cold, but not all that warm either. Although he had never minded James’ unwelcomeness to physical affections, it had always been slightly hard to control his need for attention. But now suddenly, Thomas was feeling a strange tightness in his chest at his inability to touch James. Emotions quickly overtook him, and he had fight to stop the tears that almost flooded out of his eyes. Luckily, James didn’t seem to notice Thomas’ strange behaviour, and continued reading the documents on Thomas’ desk. _What the fuck is happening to me?_ Thoughts raced through Thomas’ head, thoughts of Martha, of how beautiful she had been on their wedding day, but instead of the usual warmth in his chest there was nothing. Panic flared in Thomas’ chest, quickly spreading through his body like a wildfire. _What if I don’t love her anymore?_ He momentarily registered a strong hand on his shoulder, and a worried voice muttering urgently, too faded to hear properly.

“Thomas!” James’ demanding voice snapped Thomas out of his own mind, and he realised he had started hyperventilating, “Thomas, are you ok?” A reassuring hand rested on Thomas’ cheek, and Thomas clutched at it desperately. The tears that had been threatening to fall finally broke the dam behind his eyes and poured down his face, causing the concerned expression on James’ face to deepen.

“I-I still…” Thomas sputtered, trying not to choke, “I-I do… We m-made a p-promise…”

James shushed him, grabbing the sides of his head to steady him. “Deep breaths. Nothing is going to hurt you Thomas.” The soothing note of James’ voice finally flipped a switch in Thomas’ brain, and he sobbed, wrapping his arms around James’ strong form. Stroking his back, James made soothing noises as he waited for Thomas to calm down enough to provide an explanation.

Carefully collecting himself, Thomas pulled away from James, just far enough so that he could look into James’ dark eyes. “It’s...it’s nothing,” Thomas muttered, trying to convince himself more than James.

James slowly nodded, running a hand through Thomas’ hair delicately. “Will you tell me later?” James asked quietly, resting his chin on Thomas’ head. Sighing, Thomas leaned into James’ gentle touch, basking in the comfort and familiarity of it.

“Yeah… later,” Thomas mutter, barely above a whisper. The tears on his face had begun to dry, and Thomas sniffled quietly. There were still the thoughts and doubts at the back of his head that he couldn’t ignore, and Thomas could tell this would not be the first time he cried over this. Carefully lifting his head up, Thomas smiled weakly.

“Thank you James. For coming to visit.” Thomas stated meekly, and James simply nodded, removing his hands from Thomas’ curls. A part of Thomas immediately missed the touch, but he pushed it down quickly. As James stood up to leave, he pressed a delicate kiss to Thomas’ forehead.

“I’ll miss you,” he whispered, and as he walked away Thomas had to resist the urge to call out to him. A deep ache started up in his chest as he watched James walk away, and Thomas didn’t think he’d ever experienced something so painful.

_--_--_--_--_--_--_--_--_--_--_

Burr was surprised, to say the least. The announcement of Hamilton’s affair had shaken everyone, himself especially. They had once been what some would call “close friends,” but Burr had never been too fond of that term. He’d never had a lot of friends, he didn’t like getting close to people. Sometimes it felt like everyone who loved him died.

Alexander had approached him one day, asking for assistance in finding a good location for a young seer such as himself. At the time, Burr himself had been trying to learn the magic of a seer, but he hadn’t been born with the power, not many people were, and was therefore forced to learn it the hard way. There were millions of spells and enchantments, and Burr had found it almost impossible. Yet here came this young man, amazingly granted this power at a young age, who knew almost nothing about it. It had shocked Burr immensely, that someone so inexperienced could have that much power, and Burr had immediately taken interest in him.

He introduced Alexander to a few of the other people who lived around the valley, a decision Burr had come to regret. The three had already been obnoxious enough, they didn’t need the arrogant, loud-mouthed bother that was Alexander Hamilton. However, despite his best wishes, the four had taken to each other like moths to a light. Another thing about Alexander that interested Burr was that they were both orphans, and for a while, Burr thought he had finally found someone who understood him.

But now, Alexander Hamilton, one of the greatest seers and writers of all time, or so people said, had openly admitted to an affair. Burr couldn’t even imagine what that would feel like for a family, Alexander had three children for God’s sake! Even knowing how much of a selfish bastard Alexander was, Burr was still surprised. From an outside eye, it had looked like Alexander and Eliza had had a very loving and healthy relationship, and no one knew if that had stopped being the case. Burr was certain that Eliza had loved Alexander deeply, and maybe Alexander had loved her once as well. A fiery anger burned in Burr’s stomach. He had given up Alexander’s affections for Eliza, and although Burr constantly told himself no feelings remained, he knew it wasn’t true. Although they were nowhere near as strong as they used to be, Burr’s feelings for Alexander still seemed to be never ending, and Burr hated them. He hated Alexander, he hated Eliza, he hated Thomas and James and everyone who had risen above him. He hated himself.

The anger in Burr’s chest quickly turned to rage, and he had to remind himself to keep it together. “I am the one thing in life I can control.” Burr muttered to himself, although that statement seemed to be becoming less and less truthful. Clenching the desk in his hands until his knuckles turned white, Burr slowly took a deep breath. _In. Out. In. Out._ The fire inside him slowly lessened, until it was just a manageable ember, and Burr breathed a sigh of relief. Crossing his arms on his desk and resting his head on them, Burr stared out his open window, the sun was setting over the valley, casting long shadows over the trees. Burr lived near the top of the valley, along with the other close associates of the King, and the view of the sunset here was marvellous. Carefully placing his desk so he could get the best view out the window had been the most important part of Burr’s planning, and Burr was thankful for it. There was nothing more calming than the sunset over the valley. The valley Burr had grown up in, where all his memories were. _Although most of them are bad ones_. Burr quickly pushed the thought aside, doing his best to empty out his mind and just enjoy the view. He had lived through another day.


	2. Regrets

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In which James is angsty and Alexander is gay
> 
> Enjoy!

Anxiety prickled over James’ skin. Thomas had had panic attacks before, not as often as James did of course, but James knew how to deal with them. But that had not been one of Thomas’ normal outbreaks from stress, something else had caused it, and James was worried. In James’ opinion, Thomas had always been a very mentally stable person, especially after meeting Martha. James ignored the pang in his heart at the thought, and continued to drum his fingers on his desk rhythmically. The scene from earlier kept playing over and over in James’ head. Thomas clutching desperately at his desk, knuckles white. Tears streaming down his face, his normally composed face falling apart while James watched. “We m-made a p-promise,” Thomas had whispered, and James had known immediately who Thomas was talking about.

It was the day James’ life had ended, of course he remembered it well. He and Thomas had been walking the trails through the valley, talking and observing the beautiful wildlife and plants. This had been something they did everyday, and James was just happily enjoying Thomas’ company. One of the best things about Thomas was how easily he could make James laugh. Almost no one could achieve this feat, but Thomas did it easily and regularly. As they walked along the path that day, James almost believed they would stay like this forever, but he was sorely mistaken. Just as the day began to come to an end, Thomas spotted a girl gathering berries further along the path. “Awfully late for someone like you to be out in the valley,” Thomas called, and James found the idea absurd. She looked barely younger than them. The girl looked up, dark curls falling over her shoulders gracefully. Lifting her berry filled basket onto her arms, she turned to face the two men.

Even James had to admit, she was beautiful. Her long hair was perfectly curled, falling just below her shoulders, and she had dark skin, not as dark as James’, but it was similar. Despite Thomas’ comment, she had on a dazzling smile, and her dark eyes glittered with joy. She had on a light purple shirt with a slightly darker pattern swirling across it, and a long poofy skirt that flowed out beautifully around her feet. A part of James simply wanted to turn around and ignore the girl, but Thomas seemed to be intent on talking to her. For reasons James still didn’t understand, he reluctantly followed Thomas as he approached the girl. Yet another one of her and James’ similarities were their shared heights, and James tried to ignore the prickle of irritation in his chest. Thomas stood over both of them, trying to hide his laughter.

“Glad we finally found someone your height Jemmy?” Thomas asked, resting his arm on James’ head. James shoved it off, a slight blush creeping up his cheeks. He glared pointedly at Thomas, who simply grinned before turning his attention back to the girl, who seemed greatly amused by their shenanigans.

“Ah, who have we here?” Thomas asked, grinning at the girl and giving a slight bow. James resisted the urge to roll his eyes.

“Martha Wayles. It’s nice to meet you,” the girl - Martha - replied, reaching a hand out, expecting Thomas to shake it. Instead, Thomas bent over, lifting her hand to his mouth and delicately pressing a kiss to it. Martha giggled and pulled her hand away, and James tried to ignore the prickle of jealousy that rose in his stomach. It was as if Thomas had forgotten his existence, and as he stared intently at Martha, James coughed, startling Thomas out of his seeming trance.

“James, are you alright?” Thomas asked, instantly turning to face James. The familiar tone of concern relaxed James slightly and he coughed again before nodding reassuringly. Thomas looked relieved, and opened his mouth to say something before Martha cut him off.

“Oh dear, is your friend alright?” she sounded sincerely concerned, which only seemed to piss James off more. Thomas was supposed to the only one who worried about him. Unable to ignore the twinkle in Thomas’ eye, something he had never seen when Thomas was around him, James felt his heart twisted painfully. It was a feeling James had never experienced before, and he didn’t know what to call it.

“Yes I’m fine,” James insisted, resting a hand on Thomas’ shoulder, “and we should be going shouldn’t we Thomas? As you pointed out, it’s getting pretty late.”

Surprisingly, Thomas shoved James’ arm off, looking at James in complete and utter shock. For some reason, that simple action had hurt more than any physical pain James had ever felt. “James, we haven’t even introduced ourselves! We can’t just leave!” Thomas turned back to Martha, flashing her an apologetic smile.

“I apologise for my friend here, he’s just worried he’ll get sick is all,” Thomas explained, and indignation pricked at James’ mind. “Anyways, I see we haven’t introduced ourselves. I’m Thomas Jefferson, and this is James Madison.” Thomas gestured indifferently at James as he said this, not even bothering to turn in his direction. James wished he could go numb, this was too much for him to take. Every part of Thomas was focused on Martha, and James was pretty sure he could have just walked away right then and Thomas wouldn’t have noticed. So he did.

“Well, as you said Thomas, I’m gonna head back. I don’t want to get sick after all,” James let some of his irritation seep into his voice, but Thomas didn’t notice. He was enraptured in something Martha was saying, and James was surprised Thomas even acknowledged him.

“Yeah ok, sounds good James,” Thomas muttered, waving a lazy goodbye. Martha waved a small goodbye as well, and James told himself that she didn’t matter. That Thomas would follow after him shortly and apologise for what he had said. He told himself this again and again as he walked, even after the tears started falling down his face. _She doesn’t matter she doesn’t she doesn’t matter._

Thomas hadn’t come home that night. After their walks, he and James normally sat around Thomas’ fireplace and drank tea, talking about all the latest politics and happenings. So, naturally, James waited at Thomas’ house. Thomas lived far up the valley, and there weren’t many people around, so Thomas never bothered to lock his door. As James waited for the water to boil, he told himself that Thomas was late because something had happened and he’d gotten stuck, or he’d seen a particularly cute animal, or he’d just decided to take the long way. James still couldn’t count how many times he’d lied to himself that night.

A gentle hand shook James awake, and he slowly blinked his eyes open, panicking for a moment at the unfamiliar surroundings. “James, were you waiting for me here?” a familiar voice asked, amusement clear in their tone. Pushing the hand off himself, James sat up in the chair he’d apparently fallen asleep in. Thomas was leaning over him, a bright smile on his face. He looked happier than James had ever seen him.

Suddenly the memories of the previous day came rushing back, and James snapped, “Where the hell were you last night Thomas?! I was worried!” Thomas flinched at his angry tone, and James immediately felt bad.

Backing away from James slightly, Thomas muttered, “I’m sorry James… but,” Thomas tone grew louder and brighter as he continued, “but me and Martha really hit it off and I asked what she was doing with the berries, so she invited me to her house to show me.” There was a dreamy look in Thomas’ eyes that James had never seen before, and he felt a sudden flood of jealousy overtake him. However, he couldn’t bring himself to say anything, and he let Thomas continue.

“Apparently she really loves to bake, and she let me try some of her cakes and they were _so good_. Then we started talking and I guess I just lost track of time because she’s so _nice_ and so _pretty_ , and…” James felt dread rise up in his throat as Thomas paused, and he wanted nothing more than to just never hear the words he knew Thomas was about to say, “And… James, I think I love her.”

James’ entire world fell apart, those three words seemed to break something inside him, and he felt a billion emotions rushing through him. However, he took one look at the blissful look in Thomas’ eyes, and James knew he had to stop himself from letting the emotions spill out of him. It took all he had, but he managed a weak, “I think I’m going to go now.” Standing abruptly, James tried to ignore the confused and slightly hurt look on Thomas’ face. He had to get out of here. He had to get away from Thomas, and all these feeling that wouldn’t go away. Hurt and betrayal rose above all the others, but there was something else. Jealously. But not the kind of jealousy James should be feeling as just Thomas’ best friend. It was a jealousy so strong it took James’ breath away, and James immediately knew what it was. Although he told himself it wasn’t true, a part of him had known it was true for a long time, and James’ heart ached. Finally he’d found a name for this emotion that had been swirling inside him for months, but it was too late to do anything about it.

Thomas barely spoke to James after that, and James was half grateful. He was grateful because it meant he would never have to face those feelings again, but he was also overcome with loneliness. He’d only had one friend, and that friend had moved on. Or so James thought. It came as quite the surprise when he received a letter from Thomas one morning. As he read it, James felt his throat close up. They were getting married. Thomas went on and on in the letter about how he knew it hadn’t been very long, but he and Martha were soulmates, he just knew it. None of the expected emotions came, instead, James felt nothing. There was a strange hollowness in his chest, and James knew it wasn’t supposed to be there. He was supposed to feel something. But he didn’t. And he didn’t feel anything as he watched Thomas put a ring on a finger so similar to James’ own, or as he watched them kiss, sealing the bond they had both just agreed too. James had left early.

_--_--_--_--_--_--_--_--_--_--_

 _Blood. Death. Fire. Destruction._ All these things rushed through Alexander’s mind as he stumbled through the bushes. Ignoring the stinging pain of a branch swinging back and hitting him in the face, he plowed on. He didn’t know where he was going or what he would do next, but he did however, know two things; he had cheated on his wife, and he was walking. That was good wasn’t it? Not the cheating of course, but the walking. Moving. Moving was good. Another wave of visions overwhelmed him, and his vision turned red. Visions like this were abnormal, Alex normally had fairly good control over his powers, but these were random and violent. Alex stumbled over a root, barely able to keep himself on his feet. Stopping, he rested his hand against a tree, breath ragged. Alexander panted, trying his best to push back the blurriness threatening to cloud over his eyesight. He blinked rapidly, and it slowly started to disappear. Allowing himself a sigh of relief, Alex pushed himself back onto his feet, and ignoring the slight waver in his step, took a careful step forward. His head pounded and it felt like everything was falling apart, but at least he could walk.

Completely unaware that any time had passed, Alexander finally glanced up at the sky, alarmed to find it already turning red from the setting sun. Questions raced through Alexander’s mind. What if he couldn’t find shelter? What if he died out here? The valley could be a cold, unforgiving place if you didn’t have the right supplies, and Alexander had already begun to hear the familiar cries of not-so-distant animals. Heart pounding, Alexander couldn’t decide whether or not to use his powers. There were three options if he did this;one, he would see a favourable outcome and have nothing to worry about, two, the vision might not be perfectly clear and would only leave Alex more paranoid than before, and three, the vision would show Alex dying some terrible death and Alex would slowly go insane waiting for his inevitable fate. Also, Alex didn’t know how these weird, random visions of destruction were going to affect his abilities. He’d never felt anything like this, it was almost as if some outside force was pushing down on his brain, holding in the same images and repeating them over and over.

 _Fuck it_ , Alexander thought after hearing the night's third far-too-close growl, and he slowly relaxed his breathing. Seeing required careful concentration, and as clear a mind as he was capable of. Which, right now, wasn’t all that clear, but Alexander figured he could work something out. His powers were natural after all, he had more power than any other seer his age, and he’d barely had to work for it. Despite this though, Alexander prided himself on being an ambitious and confident person, and still spent as many years as possible studying his abilities. Taking a deep breath, Alexander carefully pushed away any and all emotions, anything that could taint the vision. A dark blackness enveloped Alex’s mind, something he had grown quite accustomed too. Concentrating, Alex began to force the blackness into colours, and the colours into shapes, and the shapes into photos. Stronger visions would be moving, while other were simply photos, and some were just blackness with occasional distorted voices.

The hardest part of a seers job was deciphering the things he saw, and Alex often got frustrated. His thoughts suddenly drifted to Burr, how he had been such a supporting and relatively positive force in Alexander’s life at the beginning of Alexander’s seeing career. Burr had always been the one to help Alexander see sense, and although Burr’s seeming lack of empathy pissed Alexander off, he had to admit it could be helpful at times. The image Alexander had formed began to blur and lose shape, and he immediately pushed all thoughts of his old friend away. With his mind clear once again, he began to see something. A sunrise. Ok, so he would live to see the sunrise, that was good. And then an unfamiliar face, and a faded, quiet voice that whispered, “ _John_.” Studying the new person intently, Alex was immediately distracted by the need to count all of the freckles on their delicate face. The person was smiling, brown eyes twinkling happily. Their entire appearance seemed to ooze friendliness, and Alexander was immediately intrigued. Seeing new people was always the best part of visions, and Alexander loved seeing if his assumptions about them were right. Suddenly, the person disappeared, replaced all too quickly with the screaming voices and sharp red across his vision. Covering his ears, he tried desperately to block out the noise, although he knew it wouldn’t work. The more Alex tried to focus on returning to reality, the louder the screaming and the brighter the colour seemed to get. It felt like Alex’s head was burning, and he just _wanted it to stop. Stop. STOP._

Tentatively, Alex opened his eyes once more, relieved to see the familiar sunrise from his vision. Hope immediately flared in Alexander’s chest, he could meet the person today. “John,” Alexander tested the name on his tongue, finding that he definitely enjoyed saying it. Hoisting himself to his feet, Alexander found that he felt a lot better after sleeping for a few hours. For the first time in weeks, Alex’s head was clear, and it felt amazing. Gathering the few items he’d brought with him in his hands, Alexander continued down the trail, pausing occasionally to see if anyone was there.

After several hours of walking and Alexander quickly losing hope of ever meeting John, there was a strange sound up ahead. Listening carefully, Alex recognised what sounding like… barking? And someone shouting. Beginning to worry that someone might be in trouble, Alexander quickened his pace. Suddenly, a dark shape came spinning around from behind the bushes, hurtling down the trail towards Alex. With barely enough time to raise his arms to shield himself, Alexander felt a strong force knock into him, shoving him to the ground. Wheezing, Alexander panicked, pushing at whatever was pinning him to the ground. The barking from earlier sounded again, only this time much louder, and Alexander flinched. All of a sudden there was a sharp command and the weight was ripped off of him, and the creature yelped as it was pinned to the ground. Calming down slightly, Alexander finally observed whatever it was that attacked him. It had a sleek solid black dog-like body, but the similarities to anything Alex had ever seen before stopped there. Despite first appearances, it didn’t have any fur, and it’s skin looked tough and leathery. Trailing down it’s spine were thin fins that moved up and down as it breathed, and as Alexander looked closer, he could see what looked like gills just above its shoulder. Six legs drummed at the ground furiously in it’s attempt to get up, and its two long, arrow pointed tails thrashed, throwing dirt into the air. Examining the things face, Alex couldn’t decide what startled him most. As it roared and growled angrily, Alex saw its lower jaw split into two sections, each one fanning out in the opposite direction of the other. It had two pairs of shiny black eyes that glittered viciously, and its four long, bat like ears were folded backwards in an obvious sign of aggression. From its position on the ground, Alex guessed it was about the size of a deer. Dragging his attention from the creature's face, Alexander focused instead on the person pinning it down. And froze. It was harder to recognise them since the curly hair that Alex had previously seen down was now pulled up into a bun, but the freckles that dusted their face were unmistakable. “John,” Alex whispered, and covered his mouth immediately. John looked up at him, confusion covering his features, and Alex struggled to breath. Slowly, John’s features relaxed, and Alex let out a sigh of relief.

“Um, hi. I’m John Laurens,” He smiled then, and Alex’s heart fluttered.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OK so like I know I should be writing my other fanfic and I promise I am doing that (albeit slowly), but I'm having a lot of fun writing this! 
> 
> As always, comments and kudos are greatly appreciated and I hope you enjoyed!


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